A hydrogen generation device is used to supply, for example, a hydrogen-containing gas as a fuel gas to a fuel cell. The hydrogen generation device typically includes a reformer for generating the hydrogen-containing gas through a reforming reaction of a raw material and water. As the raw material, a city gas or the like is used. The city gas or the like contains a sulfur compound as an odorous component, etc. Because the sulfur compound is a poisoning substance to a reforming catalyst used in the reforming reaction, it is necessary to remove the sulfur compound in some way or other.
Under the circumstances, there has been proposed a hydrogen generation device which employs a method of removing the sulfur compound by normal-temperature adsorption (hereinafter will be referred to as normal-temperature adsorption/desulfurization, for example, see Patent Literature 1) or a method of removing the sulfur compound by hydrodesulfurization using hydrogen (e.g., see Patent Literature 2). The normal-temperature adsorption/desulfurization is easily handled because of no need for heating and hydrogen, but does not have a great adsorption capacity. On the other hand, the hydrodesulfurization is not easily handled because of a need for heating and hydrogen, but has a great adsorption capacity. Accordingly, there has been proposed a hydrogen generation device which employs the normal-temperature adsorption/desulfurization at start-up and then employs the hydrodesulfurization after generation of the hydrogen-containing gas is enabled (e.g., see Patent Literature 2).